The Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) is a glass beacon connecting the Hamilton Building (left) to the newly-renovated Lanny and Sharon Martin Building (right). The Welcome Center’s 52-panel glass façade is the largest in North America without intermediate framing. Museum Director Christoph Heinrich says, “Museums tend to be hermetic because daylight and art don’t go well together, but the Welcome Center is the opposite of closed-off. The inside will be filled with light and joy. It is the wide open arms ready to embrace our amazing community.” There’s also new space to explore outside, including fresh landscaping and a brand new courtyard. Front Porch photo by Steve Larson
After three years of renovation and new construction, The Denver Art Museum will reopen to the public on October 24 with a free general admission day. Director of The Denver Art Museum, Christoph Heinrich, says, “As part of the transformation of the Martin Building, we had a once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink and rehaul each and every one of the galleries. Not one gallery will look like it looked before, and that is not just a new paint coat or new flooring; it is a different approach to the objects.
The Schlessman Bridge, named after the $2M gift from the Schlessman Family Foundation, connects the iconic tube entrance designed by Ponti to the 14th Avenue Parkway sidewalk. Once the main entrance to the Martin Building, the tube is now a school and youth group entrance. Photo courtesy of Denver Art Museum
“The collection galleries have been updated and reconceived with a commitment to telling more inclusive stories, including bringing in more contemporary artists and community voices to provide increased societal and historical contexts. For instance, in the indigenous collection there are many voices from members of different tribes telling the stories of the objects. We’re bringing the backstories of the objects to the forefront of the presentation. It will feel fresh, new, contemporary, engaging, and interactive.”
DAM Director Christoph Heinrich is pictured in August 2019 as he described the construction underway at that time. Deputy Director Andrea Fulton is pictured at left. During the renovation, all onsite activities—including school tours, exhibitions, presentations, and events—moved to the Hamilton Building. Front Porch photo by Steve Larson
The reopening will mark the 50th anniversary of the newly coined “Lanny and Sharon Martin Building.” Designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and Denver-based James Sudler Associates, the Martin Building has long been considered an architectural gem of Denver’s Golden Triangle. The 24th will also mark the opening of the new Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center that connects the Martin and the Daniel Libeskind-designed Hamilton Buildings. Architecture and Urban Design Firm Machado Silvetti and Fentress reimagined the Martin Building and created the Welcome Center with reverence for Ponti’s original vision.
A new grand staircase leads into the illuminated Duncan Hall. Photo courtesy of Denver Art Museum
Renovations to the Martin Building include 33,328 square feet of new gallery and public space including the Bonfils Stanton Foundation Gallery—6,500 square feet of reclaimed storage space—that will feature special exhibitions drawn from the collections. Other improvements include the Jana & Fred Bartlit Learning and Engagement Center which features more than 17,600 square feet of flexible programming space on two levels including workshop rooms and the Singer Pollack Family Wonderscape which will host community-created exhibitions and school events. “We’ve dedicated a lot of real estate to educational programs,” Heinrich said. “We used to whine that we didn’t have the space to do this or that, but we don’t have that excuse anymore. When you have the space, you fill it with what matters.”
The new rooftop terrace on the Martin Building offers views of downtown Denver. Photo courtesy of Denver Art Museum
The 50,000-square-foot Sie Welcome Center features 25-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide scalloped glass panels. The Center, which offers two dining options, connects the entire campus and provides improved space for ticketing, visitor flow, and guest services. It also includes a preservation laboratory for the study and conservation of the museum’s 70,000 objects. The lab features north-facing windows which will offer indirect light—something that is key to preservation—as well as the opportunity for the public to get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s conservation work.
Fifty-two glass panels make the Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center the largest structural glass facade in North America to hold itself up without intermediate framing. Photo courtesy of Denver Art Museum
Other renovations include expanded gallery space including 7th-floor-views; infrastructure and safety upgrades including a new elevator core and a transparent public staircase; updated mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; new skylights and revitalization of glass tiles to the building’s facade; as well as new floors and exterior insulation. A brand new courtyard includes a little arena in recognition of a pavilion Ponti envisioned, but didn’t get to build.
The renovation and expansion project cost a total of $150 million. Board Chairman, Lanny Martin and his wife Sharon, donated $25 million. Anna and John J. Sie donated $12 million. The 2007 Better Denver Bonds provided $3 million the Elevate Denver Bond initiative funded $35.5 million, and the museum matched public investment dollars with privately-raised funds at a three-to-one ratio.
Reopening events include the Unveiling Opening Gala on October 15. Tables are $15,000. A pair of seats is $2,500. Heinrich said they’re still deciding where those funds might be allocated, but possible benefactors include “a big show about The American Painters in France and one show that will be a killer for families with a big appeal for kids.” There’s also a Members’ Preview on October 21, 22, and 23, a Full Circle celebration on October 22, and a Grand Opening Reception for members only on October 20. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en.
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